5 reasons and one more, why sticky trolls are actually a good thing

(Source of image: Wikipedia)

I have a sticky troll here in Steemit. You must have noticed him following me around, ranting and cursing as trolls do. To be honest, I don't know how to get rid of him, but even if I did, I don't think I would. Contrary to common belief, trolls are actually good for you.

Everyone knows that the first rule about trolls, is to never feed them after midnight (and it is always after midnight somewhere…). In other words, you should never respond directly to trolls and certainly not argue with them. However, if you make the mistake and break this rule, and they became all gooey and sticky, don't worry about it. As I said above, this may actually work for your favor, and here's 5 reasons why:

1. Somebody is actually reading your posts - If you wonder if anyone is reading your posts at all (or in Steemit even actually enters them, rather than autovote), then know this: Sticky trolls are your most avid readers. They will not miss a single word of a single post of yours. Don't mind their sarcastic and often repetitive responses, but rather the fact that​ they can actually quote from you. It means that they’ve read your post.

2. Trolls prove you right - When I was a child and bullies picked on me, my mother used to say, “They only do that because you are better of them”. A typical Jewish mother response I guess, but it still has a point. You should be proud if a troll chose you to pick on. It means that you have something truthful and meaningful​ to say.

3. Trolls prove you wrong - What does being wrong feels like? Well it feels like being right. We all need a constant reminder to double check our assumptions and our beliefs, and who can help us do that more than a sticky troll? Trolls will do this job for us willingly and without asking for anything​ in return. And the greatest thing about them being our doubtful voice is that as much as we may want to, we can't get rid of them.

4. Trolls remind us not to be trolls ourselves - Since I got my sticky troll, my replies to posts of other writers have become much more thoughtful and moderate, and more importantly, I think twice before I reply at all. This is of course, thanks to the constant reminders I get from my troll, how annoying smart ass responses may be.

5. Trolls replies are a good and clickbait - Having at least one reply on your post increases the chance that readers will read your post. There is no such thing as bad publicity, as the saying goes, and in the attention economy this is even more so.

And there is a sixth reason, which is that sticky trolls help us train our compassion muscles, or as Tolkien wrote so nicely in “The lord of rings”:

Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends. I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it. And he is bound up with the fate of the Ring. My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many – yours not least.